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40 PORTLAND OBSERVER Friday January 16 2015 Frisbee: Gannon heading to London FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2015 SPORT PORTLAND OBSERVER www.spec.com.au P.37 Grow our community SHOP LOCAL PAGE 40 Finals on the line DEAN MILLARD THE Portland Coasters are potentially one game away from securing a place in the Country Basketball League South West men’s finals series but they are going to have to do it the hard way; taking on third placed Horsham on the road with a depleted team tomorrow. If the fourth placed Coasters can secure a win tomorrow in their last regular season match it would mean the fifth placed Warrnambool Seahawks would need to win both of its remaining matches and improve their percentage by around 12 points to displace the Coasters from the finals. Despite being in the box seat ahead of the game however at the time of going to print there was a very real chance the Coasters could go into the game with just six players following a staggering number of unavailabilities for tomorrow night’s match. Five of the 11 players the Coasters used last time around against the Horsham Hornets were either confirmed outs or likely non starters at the time of going to print, while a further five other players the team has called on for multiple games this season were also unavailable. Add to that an ongoing niggling injury to key big man Josh Nash and star guard Hayden Annett making his comeback on the night from a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury and it completes the picture of a side very much with its back to the wall and needing everything to go right on the night. Speaking mid-week while courtside at the junior National Championships in Albury, Coasters coach Rebel Noter said he was not sure how ready Annett’s hamstring would be for the match, particularly if called upon to play even more minutes than normal, and the side would make a decision on whether he plays as close to the game as possible. “Hayden’s hamstring may still be a bit of a hindrance, we have to wait and see how he pulls up this week, he might play and he might not,” Noter said. Annett and Coasters veteran Trenton Johnston loom as potential match winners for the side tomorrow night, particularly in the absence of the team’s leading scorer this season, Joel Mirtschin. Mirtschin is one of only three players to have played every game this season, averaging 16 points per game, however his absence will free up some shots for the likes of Annett and Johnston, who are both known big game performers. When the Coasters last took on the Hornets the opening quarter proved costly, having to play catch up for the majority of the night, resulting in some late game bombs that allowed the match to blow out to a 14-point result. Noter said with good ball management tomorrow night he was confident his team could take the challenge up to the home side. “We just have to run our plays and if we can get some shots early we could open up the game. “If we have good ball movement and make some better shot selections we should be right. “The last time we played them we started just jacking some shots up late and that is where it got away from us.” Horsham is an experienced team, led by veteran guard Cam Bruce and scoring machine Tim Pickert, both are dangerous from long range but who also can be very creative in bringing their teammates into the game. “Bruce is the one that will set the tempo for Horsham. “With their bigs we have to move the ball quickly. “We have some good guards and if we move the ball and look after that we should be right. “We still have a few shooting options.” THE Portland Coasters may call upon Tanna Blackney-Noter in tomorrow’s clash against Horsham which will determine whether the side reaches finals in the Country Basketball League. Noter said there was no question how important this game was for his team, saying he was confident whatever line up took the court for Portland he was confident of taking the game up to Horsham. “It is definitely a big game for us, we basically have to win it to still push Warrnambool. “If we win this and if Warrnambool win their last two it will come down to percentage. “If we drop it that is just about it; we will miss out on a final. PICTURE: ELLY HATELEY 141109eh17 “I reckon if we move the ball quickly enough and tighten up on our defence we should be right.” SPORTS TIPS 5522 3013